Panel PCs target medical applications

By Jonathan Angel
2009-12-02

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Best known for its monitors, ViewSonic has announced two 17-inch touchscreen PCs designed for medical applications. The MPC1700 and MPC1701 include anti-bacterial coating, Intel Core 2 Duo processors, bootable CompactFlash slots and 2.5-inch drive bays, plus PCI, PCMCIA, and Mini-PCI expansion slots, according to the company.

ViewSonic's MPC1700 and MPC1701 both offer 17-inch touchscreen displays (resolution unspecified), up to 4GB of RAM, Intel Core 2 Duo processors, plus the GME965 northbridge and ICH8M southbridge. The only difference between the two, according to the company, is that the MPC1701 runs fanlessly, thanks to a 1.06GHz CPU, while the MPC1700 uses a 2.2GHz CPU and a "low-noise" fan.

ViewSonic's MPC1700 and MPC1701 are identical in appearance

According to ViewSonic, the MPC1700 and MPC1701 feature antibacterial coating on all their surfaces, plus front panels that meet the IP65 standard for resistance to liquids and dust. The PCs are also said to carry an IPX1 rating all around, apparently meaning that they can readily be cleaned with sanitizing agents. Designed to be used on carts, at bedside, or even in an operating room, the devices also have UL60601-1/EN60601-1 certifications, adds ViewSonic.

OUR VERDICT:
Usefully, the MPC1700 and MCP1701 are more expandable than most panel PCs

The MPC1700 and MPC1701 each have a Type I/II PCMCIA (CardBus) slot, a PCI 2.2 slot, and a Mini-PCI slot. In addition, they each sport a bootable Type I/II CompactFlash slots and a shock-mounted, 2.5-inch bay for a SATA hard disk drive, ViewSonic says.

Ports are said to include both VGA and DVI for external displays, 3.5mm jacks for mic in, line in, and line out, three serial ports with DB9 connectors, and two PS/2 ports for a keyboard and mouse. Gigabit Ethernet is catered for via two RJ45 connectors, while wireless networking is an available option, according to the company.

The rear panel of ViewSonic's MPC1700 and MPC1701

According to ViewSonic, the rear panel of the MPC170x (above) also has four USB 2.0 ports. Three more USB ports are available internally, one of them reserved for an optional 1.3-megapixel webcam, the company adds.

Other options are said to include a TV tuner, a video capture card, a smart card reader, and a cover for the PCs' I/O areas. Purchasers can also obtain a stand -- again with anti-bacterial coating -- and specify a tempered glass surface for the display, says ViewSonic.

Finally, the MPC1700 and MPC1701 have four front-panel keys, but these are limited to controlling power and increasing the devices' brightness or volume. Each PC comes with stereo speakers, driven by an amplifier rated at two watts per channel.

Features and specifications listed for the MPC1700 and MPC1701 by ViewSonic include the following:

Processor:
- MPC-1700 -- Intel Core 2 Duo clocked at 2.2GHz
- MPC-1701 -- Intel Core 2 Duo clocked at 1.06GHz, with fanless operation
Chipset -- GME965 northbridge and ICH8M southbridge
Memory -- Up to 4GB of RAM via two SODIMM sockets
Storage -- Shock-mounted 2.5-inch SATA drive bay and bootable Type I/II CompactFlash slot
Display -- 17-inch touchscreen with 400-nit brightness rating; resolution unspecified
Camera -- 1.3-megapixel webcam (optional accessory)
Expansion:
- PCI 2.2 expansion slot
- PCMCIA Type I/II 32-bit CardBus slot
- Mini-PCI slot
Networking:
- LAN -- 2 x gigabit Ethernet
- WLAN -- optional (presumably via Mini-PCI slot)
Other I/O:
- 1 x VGA
- 1 x DVI
- Mic in, line in, line out
- USB 2.0 x 7 (4 external, 2 internal with pin headers, 1 reserved for webcam)
- 3 x serial
- 2 x PS/2
Operating temperature -- 32 to 104 deg. F (0 to 40 deg. C)
Power requirements -- 12VDC to 28VDC
Dimensions -- 16.5 x 14.2 x 3.3 inches (420 x 360 x 83mm)
Weight -- 13.3 pounds (6.0kg)

Availability

ViewSonic did not list operating system support for the MPC1700 and MPC1701, though the PCs should be able to run Linux, thanks to their standard Intel chipsets. Listed as a "special order product," the devices appear to be available now.

More information may be found on the ViewSonic website, here.

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